Wonder (Palacio novel) facts for kids
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| Author | R. J. Palacio |
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| Cover artist | Tad Carpenter |
| Subject | Prejudice Self-acceptance Middle school Friendship Bullying |
| Genre | Children's novel |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
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Publication date
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14 February 2012 |
| Pages | 310 |
| Awards | Maine Student Book Award Vermont's Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award Mark Twain Award Hawaii's Nene Award Junior Young Reader's Choice Award |
| ISBN | 0375869026 |
| OCLC | 726819876 |
Wonder is a popular children's novel written by Raquel Jaramillo. She uses the pen name R. J. Palacio. The book was first published on February 14, 2012. It tells an inspiring story about kindness, acceptance, and finding your place in the world.
Contents
How the Story of Wonder Began
R. J. Palacio got the idea for Wonder after something happened with her son. They saw a girl with a severe facial difference. Palacio's son got scared and started to cry. Palacio tried to quickly move her son away so the girl and her family wouldn't feel bad. But this made the situation worse.
Later, a song by Natalie Merchant called "Wonder" made Palacio think. She realized that the incident could teach a valuable lesson about how we treat others. Inspired by the song's lyrics, she started writing the book. She even named the book after the song. The song's chorus is used as the start of the first chapter.
Since Wonder became so popular, other books have been published. These include 365 Days of Wonder: Mr. Browne's Book of Precepts and Auggie and Me. A movie based on the book came out in 2017.
Meet August Pullman: The Main Character
The story of Wonder begins with August "Auggie" Pullman. He is a fifth-grader who lives in Upper Manhattan with his family. Auggie has a medical condition that has caused his face to look very different. Because of this, his mother has taught him at home for many years.
Auggie's parents want him to experience more of the world. So, they decide to enroll him in Beecher Prep, a private school, for fifth grade. Auggie has an older sister named Olivia, who everyone calls "Via." Via often puts her brother's needs before her own.
Auggie's First Days at School
Before school starts, Auggie's mom takes him to Beecher Prep. He meets the principal, Mr. Tushman. Mr. Tushman also invites three other students to show Auggie around. Their names are Jack Will, Charlotte, and Julian. Julian is not very kind to Auggie from the start, even though he acts nice in front of teachers. Jack and Charlotte, however, are friendly and try to help Auggie feel comfortable.
On his first day, Auggie tries to avoid attention. But Julian and his friends immediately start making fun of him because of his appearance. Auggie's hopes for school are low. Luckily, he soon becomes friends with Jack and another classmate named Summer. Both Jack and Summer stand up for Auggie when Julian teases him.
A Difficult Halloween and Friend Troubles
Things get tough on Halloween. Auggie is dressed as Ghostface, but he had told Jack he would be Boba Fett. He overhears Jack saying mean things about him. This makes Auggie feel very hurt and alone. He starts to avoid his classmates and even his family.
At the same time, his sister Via feels frustrated. For years, she has felt ignored because Auggie's needs often come first. When Auggie returns to school, he ignores Jack. He tells Summer what he overheard. Jack feels terrible about what he said and punches Julian. This causes Jack to be suspended from school. Over the winter break, Jack apologizes to Auggie and explains that he didn't mean the hurtful words. They become friends again.
Challenges and Changes
As the school year continues, the bullying against Auggie gets worse. It even starts to affect Jack. Julian tries to turn other friends against Auggie and Jack. Julian's mother also complains to the school. She thinks Auggie's appearance might be too much for other students.
Meanwhile, Via's best friend, Miranda, starts avoiding her. Via doesn't know why. Both Miranda and Via try out for the lead role in their school play, and Miranda gets it. But on opening night, Miranda sees Via's family in the audience. She pretends to be sick so Via, who is her understudy, can play the lead role.
It turns out that Miranda felt lonely at summer camp. She pretended Auggie was her brother to get sympathy and make friends. Miranda felt guilty about this lie. Letting Via play the lead role helped the two friends make up. Via's family celebrates by taking both girls out to dinner.
A Trip and a New Beginning
Near the end of the school year, the students go on a three-day trip to a nature reserve. Auggie is worried about going at first. But when he hears that Julian won't be there, Auggie decides to join his friends. He has a lot of fun until the last night.
Auggie and Jack go exploring in the woods. They are attacked by some older students who make fun of Auggie and start to hit them. But Julian's friends arrive and help fight off the bullies. After this scary event, Auggie feels closer to his classmates.
As summer vacation approaches, Auggie is happy to hear that Julian will not be returning to Beecher Prep. At graduation, Auggie receives the 'Henry Ward Beecher Medal'. This award is given to students who are notable or exemplary throughout the school year. Auggie's mother is very proud of him. She says that he is a "wonder."
Wonder on the Big Screen
Film Adaptation
The book Wonder was made into a movie. It was directed by Stephen Chbosky and written by Steve Conrad. The film stars Julia Roberts as Isabel Pullman, Owen Wilson as Nate Pullman, and Jacob Tremblay as August Pullman. The movie was released on November 17, 2017, by Lionsgate.
More Stories from the World of Wonder
Auggie and Me
Auggie and Me is a companion book to Wonder. It includes "The Julian Chapter," which continues the story from Wonder. This book has three stories, each telling events from Wonder through different characters' eyes.
- The first story, "The Julian Chapter," is told by Julian, the school bully. He explains why he was mean to Auggie and if he will change.
- The second story, "Pluto," is about Auggie's life before Beecher Prep. It is told by Christopher, Auggie's oldest friend.
- The third story, "Shingaling," is told by Auggie's classmate Charlotte. She was one of the first people to be nice to him at Beecher Prep. This story focuses on things happening between some of the girls in Auggie's grade. These girls include Ximena Chin, Summer Dawson, and Maya Markowitz. With the help of his new friends, Auggie finally got used to his school.
These three stories were first published separately. Later, they were put together and sold as one book.
365 Days of Wonder
In the book Wonder, Auggie's teacher, Mr. Browne, gave his students a "precept" (a rule or saying to live by) every month. 365 Days of Wonder shares 365 different precepts collected by Mr. Browne. It also includes Mr. Browne's thoughts and opinions after each month in the book.
We're All Wonders
This is a short picture book. In it, Auggie talks about his life before the book Wonder. Auggie focuses on the idea that we are all wonders. In this story, Auggie often wears his astronaut helmet.
See also
In Spanish: La lección de August para niños
